Mended Bonds (Cancelled)
by Gewtz
Summary: This story is outdated, I will delete it eventually. Please direct your attention to Mended Bonds (Redux)
1. New Beginnings

New Beginnings

Timmy woke up early on this day. He knew today was going to be great, no matter what. Cosmo and Wanda were still asleep, they were usually the ones to wake him up, and on a school day no less. Yes, and Timmy was actually excited for this school day, because it was the last day of school before summer vacation. He decided that he would let Cosmo and Wanda sleep in today. They could meet him up after school, besides they deserved a good rest every now and then.

He was happy, it was the day before spring break AND his parents had actually included him in their plans for their vacation, a trip to the Bahamas. Three whole months of living the life. Though Timmy could visit any continent he wanted with the help of his fairy god parents, this would be an adventure he could actually have with his family. This would also be a story he could tell his friends about when he came back, though his story wouldn't be the only exciting one. They all had plans for their vacations.

Timmy got dressed and made his way downstairs. He plopped down on his seat, a bowl of cereal before him. Honestly Timmy was sick of cereal for breakfast but it's all he's ever known, and besides he wasn't going to let it drag down his spirits. His father let out a tired "ugh" and sipped his coffee before disappearing back into his newspaper.

His mother greeted him (more coherently) as well with a with a "Good morning, are you excited?" Timmy nodded, suddenly feeling that he had gotten up just a little too early. He yawned before settling down to finish his cereal and walk to school.

Class was going smoothly, and it seemed that even Crocker had something to keep him occupied over the summer break. At lunch he sat with his collection of friends. AJ tells him he's going to go to a science convention being hosted by the best scientists of the world and the best part was that it would be about a two week long event where he would be able to showcase his own inventions at his own panel. He would be back in time so they could hang out for the last two weeks of vacation. Chester and his father were planning a road trip to see the country AND stop by all the best flapjack joints in America so naturally Chester was excited. Timmy told them of how his parents were actually taking him to the Bahamas and they were all relieved that he wouldn't be stuck with Vicky for the whole time. Sanjay was going to go see Europe, Elmer was going to visit his grandma in France. Trixie, Veronica, and the populars' were off to go skiing in Switzerland. All in all, this was looking to be one great trip for everyone. Though Timmy thought it was odd that he hadn't seen Tootie at school in the past two days. Even luckier, he hadn't seen Francis at all today.

He disregarded the thought as the bell rang for them to go back to class. No one really saw the point of this cruel torture, all throughout the school, every single eye was set on the ticking clock, slowly ticking away until they could escape this crushing prison of boredom. As soon as the bell rang, it seemed as if everyone was desperately racing to escape the school grounds to go on their own adventures. Timmy had never been so happy in his life.

Though as he set off towards home, Timmy had a nagging feeling that he couldn't shake off. He was making his way quickly home now, he regretted skipping the bus home. He suddenly felt like he was tempting fate by walking home and almost as if the universe had read his mind, Francis the gray skinned bully rounded the corner. It was too late for Timmy however, they had already made eye contact. As Timmy turned around to run, Francis hoisted him up by the back of his collar. Francis laughed like the muscle headed idiot he was as he pulled back to punch Timmy in the face. This was really going to hurt.

Timmy shut his eyes, bracing for the inevitable but instead found himself falling to the ground as Francis frantically screamed out in pain. It was all happening so suddenly that he didn't have time to brace himself as he fell. As plummeted backwards, he could swear that he heard someone call his name. He hadn't even gotten a chance to open his eyes before his head cracked and bounced against the cement and he lost consciousness. It sounded like a girl…


	2. Fleeting Dreams

Fleeting Dreams

Timmy woke up in bed, he sat up and a searing pain burned across the back of his skull as he collapsed back into his pillow. He almost cried out, the pain was so brutal. This was not how he had expected his vacation to start.

He sat up slowly this time, and gently put his hand up to his forehead and felt the bandage wrapped around his head. He turned over to wake up Cosmo and Wanda. Maybe they could fill him in on what had happened to him and get rid of this headache for him. His heart sank as his eyes fell on the small note next to his empty fish bowl.

Dear Timmy,

First of all, good morning! Hope you slept well. So sorry sport, but it looks like we're going to have to head back to fairy world for a bit. Cosmo and I are being called in for a hearing. They weren't very specific, but it's about some nonsense that Cosmo got himself stuck in a few years ago. I don't know why it's coming up now, if it was a serious problem they would have put a cease to it as soon as possible. The way it sounds though, it doesn't look like we're going to be able to go on this trip with you and your parents, at least for the beginning. Well, maybe that's a good thing? It might be good for you to get some quality time with your family. We'll be sure to catch up with you as soon as we can. We love you so much…. Cosmo keeps telling me to tell you hello… Hi, Timmy! We'll be back as soon as we can. Be safe, enjoy the sand, and stay out of trouble. See you soon, enjoy your trip. I'm sorry we didn't wake you to say goodbye but we felt you deserved a good rest. It's the last day of school, I'm sure it'll be great. We miss you already.

With love, Cosmo and Wanda

P.S. Bye Timmy

Timmy sighed, how had he not seen this yesterday morning? At least they wished him well. They couldn't have known this would happen to him. He groaned in annoyance at the revelation that he would have to heal naturally. No magic on this trip than, he cringed at the thought.

Well, no sense in wasting the day. He was sure his parents would want to know he was well so they can head out for the airport. He stretched and got dressed as carefully as he could, checking the clock it was a little after 10:00am. They were going to be late for their plane if they didn't leave soon.

He made his way downstairs towards the kitchen but was stopped in his tracks when he saw a small note on the front door. His heart stopped, they wouldn't do this to him. He had gotten hurt, yes, but they wouldn't leave without him right after that. If anything, they would cancel their trip, right? No, he knew his parents too well. What kind of people would do this? He didn't even need to read the note to know what it said. He shuffled over to the note and rested his head on the door frame.

They had left him. Who was going to watch him? No,he shook his head, that was a stupid question. She must already be here. He heard footsteps behind him but didn't care to look. He already knew who it was. She reached past him to grab the note.


	3. Sharp Contrasts

Sharp Contrasts

She read the small hastily written note.

"Tommy,

After we dropped you off at home from the hospital, your dad and I called to refund our tickets but the people were so kind to offer us an upgrade to reconsider; we would save over three thousand dollars with just two people on the trip. So how could we say no?"

("...Seriously?" she grumbled under her breath)

"We know this isn't what you wanted for your vacation, but things could be a lot worse. We spoke with Vicky"

("No they didn't, and they spelled my name wrong, typical")

"and she will be watching you until we get back."

("so about 2-3 days...")

"We've paid her in advance."

("No, they did not!")

"Have a good vacation. Get well soon, Tommy. See you in a few months."

("A few months?!")

"The doctor says to get plenty of love and care with your bed rest, so be sure to get that for your concussion."

Timmy sniffled as he waited for her to laugh in a maniacal laughter and then bark orders at him, but it never came. He sniffled again as he looked up to her, Vicki had her hand on her hip as she finished reading the small scrap of paper, she turned it over as if to look for more information. Timmy had known it was going to be a short and shoddy reason for not being here. He noted that her hand was poorly bandaged but was too shaken up by his parents abandonment to care.

She had a serious face, Timmy couldn't tell what she was thinking and that scared him slightly more than usual. "They didn't tell me you had a concussion…" she was silent for a moment, "go to the kitchen." Timmy did as he was told, he hadn't noticed it until now but there was a distinct smell of bacon and pancakes.

He opened the kitchen door slowly to see a place setting for two, one with a cereal bowl and the other with an empty plate. In front of the plate was bacon, eggs, pancakes, toast, and orange juice. Timmy sat in front of the bowl of cereal, knowing it was meant for him while Vicki would scarf down all the delicious looking food in front of him. As he reached for the spoon Vicki swooped the bowl away from him and switched it with the empty plate. She sat down and started eating her cereal. Timmy sat motionless, confused as to why she had done that. Vicki glanced at him then focused once more on her cereal.

"Eat." She said in between bites.

Timmy now wondered if the food was poisoned. "Did you make all this?" he asked, she just nodded.

She was staring into her bowl, obviously done with talking for now. Timmy didn't know that she knew how to cook, he had never seen her make anything other than toast in the span of the seven years that she had been babysitting him. Huh, had it really been that long? As far back as Timmy could remember, it had always been Chinese food and pizza deliveries whenever she was here. Vicki had always gotten something small for him too but it was always something that he hated eating. Like mushrooms on a pizza or way too much soy sauce. She had made all this food, and it wasn't even for her. Timmy felt as if something was off with Vicki but he didn't know if he dared ask what it was. He grabbed a little of everything and ate in silence alongside Vicki, as Timmy finished his food he burped lightly with satisfaction. That was the best breakfast he had ever had, and it was made by Vicki of all people. The thought suddenly dawned on him that this was the very first time he had had a real breakfast at this dining table in his entire life, it had always been plain cereal or toast with jam. It was a little sad to him now.

He looked glumly down at his dirty plate and then he realized that Vicki had probably left all the cooking ware for him to clean. He glanced woefully over to the sink only to find it empty, he turned back to Vicki who seemed to be lost in thought. "No dishes for me to clean?"

Vicki didn't really move, she simply muttered, "Already did them" before standing up to clean the table along with Timmy's plate.

Timmy had so many questions now; why hadn't his parents actually given him a real goodbye, why didn't they tell Vicki they had planned to be gone for months? Or why she hadn't been telling him to do things or yelling at him? What happened to her hand? It was bandaged pretty poorly, just thickly wrapped in gauze. His head was starting to hurt with all these questions, what had happened to Francis? Before he knew it, he was asking her a question, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Vicki didn't turn around from the dishes, but she did freeze for a moment and Timmy could swear that his heart stopped. Timmy's eyes darted between the back of her red head to the living room door. His eyes locked back onto her red hair, if she lunged at him he would make a run for it. He wouldn't make it far since she was faster than him, but it was worth a shot.

She sighed, "You have a serious head injury. What am I supposed to do? Treat you like dirt until you pass out and I actually have to take care of you? Then you would take longer to heal and that means more work for me in the long run. So I'm not being nice, I'm just saving myself a headache." She had turned to face him as she finished speaking.

Timmy uttered, "Oh, um o-okay." Timmy didn't really buy it but he wasn't going to push Vicki when she was being nice, strange as it was.

Vicki rolled her eyes and went back to cleaning the dishes. After a few minutes, she looked over her shoulder to find Timmy still sitting at the table looking uncomfortable. Vicki facepalmed and told him to go lay down on the couch while she finished up. Timmy did as he was told and actually fell asleep as soon as he laid his head on the couch pillow.


	4. So Alone

So Alone…

He felt sick. He sat up suddenly, instantly regretting it as pain wracked his skull. He opened his eyes to see stars but they soon faded, he placed his hand in front of him and grew frightened when he couldn't see it… He was blind. Was this because of his concussion. Fear shook his young body to the core. He began to panic, he called out for Vicki and looked around and saw a shaft of light coming from under the kitchen door.

He sighed in relief that he wasn't blind, he was just an idiot in the dark. He realized that he had called out for Vicki for help, and that made him feel very embarrassed. He really hoped that she hadn't heard that desperation in his voice. He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. It was night time and the house was eerily silent.

Timmy turned on the lamp. The light was so bright, his head was killing him. Where was Vicki? The house was dead silent as he walked around, none of the lights were on except for the kitchen, and he peered inside to find no one. He rubbed his head, he couldn't remember the last time he was truly alone. Whenever Vicki left, his family was here, if they weren't here, he had Cosmo and Wanda, or his friends. But now? He was completely alone.

Timmy felt a tightening in his chest, he was very scared. Wanda and Cosmo were gone for who knows how long, his parents had ditched him for months of warm sand and sunny beaches. His friends were having a great time while he was here with a concussion. Worst of all, now, the one person he had never expected to take real care of him was missing, Vicki had completely disappeared.

He was really starting to panic now, his breathing hitched as he shuffled around the house. Everything was blurry. Was he crying? He cried out her name, there was only silence. He cried out again and again, each time sounding more desperate as he searched the house. He felt like a stupid little kid but he didn't care, he was scared and alone. The sound of an engine could be heard from the front of the house, Timmy ran to the window to see a car pull up out front.

Timmy shambled over to the front door, he opened it and saw Vicki getting out of her beat up little car. She saw him and her look changed from disgruntled to worried in a flash. She was about to ask him what he was doing up when he collided into her almost knocking her off her feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and cried into her stomach. She immediately hugged him back without hesitation, completely confused by the situation.

"I woke up, and you were gone! I was all alone…" He cried in between sharp breaths.

She hushed him and gently tussled his hair in an awkward attempt to calm him. Surprising to Vicki, it worked, Timmy had started to calm down."I went to go get my things since I would be watching you for so long... Let's get you inside, you're going to get sick if you stay out here like this." She looked at her watch, "You need to take your medication and get some rest. Let me just get my things." She struggled with two heavy looking suitcases, Timmy wanted to help but she wouldn't let him.

She huffed as she set the suitcases down in the living room. Timmy's head was really starting to hurt, he was stumbling a bit when Vicki swooped him off his feet and started carrying him up the stairs.

She was sweating as she grumbled, "Don't say a word."

Timmy didn't really know what to say, so he simply stated the obvious, "You're carrying me."

She huffed halfway up the stairs, "Good job eagle eye. What did I just say? You need to rest, you're really not looking well and I honestly don't think you can handle stairs at the moment."

She continued to carry him down the hall once they got upstairs, "We're not on the stairs anymore, you can set me down now. Besides, you're sweating, aren't I a little heavy for you?"

Vicki grew a smirk on her face, "It's the suitcases, not you, and you're not that fat…yet. Besides, I'm not gonna risk it. I shouldn't have left you alone in the first place, that's already happened one too many times to you today." Timmy was sure he heard sorrow in her voice. She set him down in his bed.

She was silent for a moment before she looked at him with a cocked head, "You've been asleep all day..." She rubbed the back of her head, sounding awkward and concerned, "do you want me to make you anything to eat?"

Timmy shook his head, he had propped himself up and was resting against the head board as he took his medicine. She sat next to him at his bedside, his headache was already starting to go away and he was steadily growing tired... He was still sniffling every now and then. He glanced over at Vicki, expecting her to give him a deadpan expression for acting like such a baby but was surprised when he saw her face.

Vicki looked... sad? He couldn't tell, he wasn't really used to this side of Vicki, maybe it was all new to her too but either way it made her impossible to read at the moment. His eyes drooped down for a moment to land on her injured hand, he hadn't noticed it before. He looked up at her sleepily and asked her what had happened to her hand.

He thought he saw her blush, which was crazy, but she turned away slightly and stated that it was none of his business. Now he knew she was hiding something. So he thought he would try and outsmart her, hard as that was. He knew how Vicki operated for the most part, he could coax it out of her by attacking her ego. "It was something stupid wasn't it?"

She turned to look at him, looking upset, "No, I hurt it breaking some stupid kid's jaw. So shush before I end up with two injured hands…"

Timmy smiled to himself, "I thought you knew how to throw a punch."

She scoffed, "Of course I do, I just wasn't thinking clearly when I swung so I might have sprained my wrist."

Timmy looked at her sideways, "How do you not know? Didn't your doctor tell you what was wrong?"

Vicki laughed suddenly, "Oh, I didn't see a doctor."

Timmy woke up slightly at this, "What?! Why? What if something's broken?"

Vicki leaned in and poked him on the nose, teasingly "what do you care? Are you worried about me, twerp?"

Timmy blushed deeply and he didn't know why, she had turned this on him. "W-what? No. I mean, if it's something serious, how will you take care of me?" he batted puppy dog eyes at her to which she burst into laughter.

"Seriously Turner, that look has never worked on me, not from puppies, boys, not kids I babysit, and especially not you. Besides, I'm pretty sure I would know if it was broken. Don't worry about me, this is nothing."

Timmy was fighting desperately to stay awake at this point, she had been dodging the question and was running out the clock until his medication kicked in. Timmy blinked once again and then fell asleep.

Timmy had just fallen asleep when he felt something wet and soft press gently against his forehead, his eyes crept open slowly to see her walking away, quietly stepping out of his room, he felt his forehead gently. Had she kissed him goodnight? A small smile crept across his mouth as he fell into a deep sleep.


	5. Meanwhile

Meanwhile…

Vicki crept down the hall to the top of the staircase and looked down, she stared at her heavy suitcases as they waited for her to heft them upstairs. "Screw that." She turned around and opted to just fall asleep on the turner's guest bed but not before taking a quick shower.

The water was going to take a bit to get steaming hot, just how she liked it. She undid her bandage on her hand, her knuckles were swollen. And bruised. And they hurt significantly. Francis' face was harder than she had thought. What had she been thinking? Vicki thought back to how it had all come to this…

* * *

She had slugged Francis as hard as she could, she just reacted. He was going to hurt him. Vicki had never seen Timmy get hurt physically. Sure, she always threatened him with bodily harm but they were always empty threats. She could be mean, but beating on little kids wasn't really her bag. It always ate at her when she came over to babysit Timmy only to see his eye swollen shut. She always saw the aftermath of the fights, the shiner or the bloody swollen mouth. It struck Vicki as odd that his parents never seemed to notice his injuries or care for that matter.

The Turners had always been great customers, never asked too many questions, didn't have any stupid rules, and they accepted her high rates. Though, in the parenting department they were severely lacking. Vicki felt as if she had spent most of her time these days babysitting Timmy, she was there for his parties, his parent's vacations, and other outings. She had spent more time with him in these past 4 years than his own parents. In the beginning it used to be just for a few hours, the it progressed to maybe a whole day. Then it transitioned to days at a time. They left him in her care at the drop of a hat, a small company barbeque usually turned into a weekend long event, Vicki didn't mind though, financially speaking she had no worries about being able to move out of Dimmsdale and pay for college. She did, however, worry about how all of this put a strain on the kid. Vicki didn't like to admit it, but she had gotten attached to him. She didn't feel like his mom or anything but she did care about him.

She was his babysitter after all, so seeing the twerp getting hurt was something that she could not allow. She did care about his well-being and school had just gotten out for everyone. She just wanted him to have one day, just ONE, where nothing went wrong for the kid. So when she saw Francis hoisting him up by his collar to punch his face in, well, she just lost it and lunged at him swinging as hard as she was able. All in broad daylight too. It was two forces to be reckoned with, one of pure brute strength and the other of great evil and hatred. As her fist connected with Francis' jaw, she heard the audible snapping of bone. Francis screamed in pain and dropped Timmy and he fell to the ground.

She felt her heart stop when she saw Timmy's head bounce off the concrete. _Oh god, and that horrible sound, that crack._ It was almost too much, she was furious at this point, she had just broken Francis' Jaw but she was only getting started. She swung once again, straight at his humerus, she would take out his good arm. Once again she heard a loud cracking of bone. Francis had strength and size on his side but against Vicki that didn't mean anything. She still beat the crap out of him. Francis screamed out in pain once again before his eyes landed on his attacker.

He saw that it was Vicki and bolted away, fearing for his life. He had attacked another hunter's prey and he had suffered for it. Vicki's hand was throbbing as she hefted an unconscious Timmy up into her arms. She didn't know what to do, this was partially her fault. Should she take him home, or call his parents, or rush him to the hospital? It was all happening so fast that next thing she knew, she was setting him gently in her car and rushed him to the hospital herself.

She phoned Timmy's parents when she had gotten there. They were at work at the time and said they would be right over. Vicki's hand was already swelling as she pulled into the emergency room parking lot. She knew she had messed up that punch but that wasn't important right now. She carried Timmy inside where the hospital staff put him on a stretcher and placed him into a room of his own. Vicki stayed back at the registration counter to fill out basic paperwork and inform them of what had happened, of course she left out the part where her fist smashed into Francis's skull and then into his arm. As soon as she had finished, Timmy's Parents showed up and seemed to take over.

They were dressed in shorts and Hawaiian shirts much to Vicki's confusion. They were very serious however, they thanked Vicki for taking such quick care of Timmy. Vicki's hand was now in severe pain. She waved their appreciation off saying that she was just doing what anyone would have done. She complained that she was feeling a headache and asked if it was alright if she could go home. They told Vicki that they would take care of the rest and thanked her again. Keeping up a friendly act with his parents did take its strain on her every now and then, even more so at the moment. As she walked back to the car, she felt unease.

She glanced back to the hospital entrance, she was just leaving him here. Sure his parents were there now, but they were sort of bipolar with their affections, but that wasn't the right word for it, two faced felt better. She shuddered as she looked up at the sterile building, being in hospitals made her extremely uncomfortable. She had spent most of her childhood in one, and she wanted to keep it that way. She shook the thought away as her injured hand brought her back to reality.

The drive home was distracting as she was worried about Timmy. She didn't like to admit it, but it was true. She pulled into her driveway and saw that Tootie was sitting out on the porch, swinging on the bench. She hadn't been in school for the past two days because their parents wanted her to be all packed up for their cruise and didn't see a point in her being in class for two days of nothing.

Tootie waited for Vicki to walk up the walkway to her, but then she saw her sister's hand she rushed over to her. "Jeez, what happened to your hand?! We've got to take care of this."

She rushed Vicki upstairs past her parents and into the bathroom they shared. Their parents paid them no mind, as usual. Vicki took a seat on the lid of the toilet seat, Tootie told her to stay there and she would be right back. Before Vicki could protest however, she was already gone, having disappeared back downstairs. Vicki huffed, her little sister could be quite overprotective and motherly sometimes, she didn't mind too much though. Tootie came rushing back with an ice pack and gently put it on her hand. Vicki winced at the pain.

"Sorry..." Her sister said with a frown.

Vicki sighed, "Its fine." She huffed, annoyed with herself.

Tootie cleaned off Vicki's knuckles and slowly started to bandage her hand, "So you going to tell me what happened?"

Vicki looked away, clearly annoyed by her sister's prying. This was already more intensive than their normal discussions. She and Vicki got along fine these days, they still fought (more like Tootie just pissed Vicki off) every now and then. They had gotten closer over the years, they were on good terms for the most part. They talked here and there, about their dreams, fears, hopes. Vicki knew a lot about Tootie, but still was hesitant to give her more than vague details on how life was like before she had been born. It was rare when they opened up to each other, but it was nice whenever it happened.

"Come on, spill it, Vicki."

Vicki was frustrated with Tootie's pestering, she pulled her hand away as she snapped, "I got in a fight with some asshole. He was messing with my things, so I broke his face."

Tootie looked genuinely surprised, "Whoa, what kind of idiot would mess with your stuff? But …that doesn't really explain you hand though, you're the last person that should hurt their hand throwing a punch."

Vicki placed her hands on her hips, "Really, Toots. I don't need a lecture or a pop quiz from you, not right now. It's been a long day and I just want to get some sleep. Besides, shouldn't you be packing for the trip?"

Tootie frowned as she creased out the ruffles in her skirt, "I already finished yesterday, are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Vicki rubbed her neck as she sighed, "Toots, we already talked about this, I love Mom and Dad, but a three week cruise doesn't sound that great to me. It would be fun for like the first day, but then I would miss being home and the idea of having the house to myself does sound pretty nice. Besides, you know how I get with the sea and all."

Tootie nodded remembering the times Vicki had chucked up on every single boat ride they've ever been on. She smiled at her, "Yeah, that wouldn't be a great way to make a good first impression on your possible prince charming if he saw you yakking into the ocean."

Vicki burst out laughing, "Oh please, I don't want some boring goody-two-shoes pretty boy pining over me, and I'm not looking for anyone, anyways. So he would just be wasting his time."

Tootie frowned once again at her statement, she had always hoped that Vicki would find someone that would treat her right, the way she deserved to be treated. Someone that could pierce through her icy exterior and see the fragile girl inside and take care of her and lover her for who she really is.

The raven haired girl finished "doctoring" up her sister's hand to the best of her ability. Vicki tussled Tootie's hair as she walked past her, "Thanks, Doc."

Tootie hated it when she messed up her hair, but it was her way of showing affection. Vicki said she was going downstairs to make a sandwich and then take a nap. Tootie figured her sister would tell her in due time, she just had to be patient.

Vicki made her way past her parents, who were putting suitcases next to the front door, and walked into the kitchen. She made a hazelnut and marshmallow spread sandwich. Normally her favorite sandwich would put her in a good mood considering she didn't have it too often, but she was still worried about Timmy.

She didn't even finish her food before she decided that she would go visit Timmy at the hospital. Maybe she could sneak in while he was asleep and make sure he was really okay. Maybe stay for a bit, then back out before he gets a chance to wake up. She remembered what it was like to be alone in a hospital room, it was nice to have someone there, so she would be that someone for the twerp. She would put up with the hospital, but only for a little bit. God, her fears were coming true. She really must be going crazy if she was willing to go back when she didn't have to.

She pulled up once more to the hospital and made her way inside. She made her way to the receptionist's desk and asked if she could check in on Timmy Turner.

The nurse shot up at the mention of his name. "That boy. Oh, I'm so very sorry dear." She looked down at her monitor.

Vicki's chest tightened as fear filled her, "What?! Why are you sorry?! He's fine isn't he? Tell Me!"

The woman was startled by Vicki's outburst. She took a moment before speaking, "Dear, he's alive, you just barely missed him is all. He was just discharged only fifteen minutes ago."

Vicki released a breath that she had been holding while she was waiting for the woman to respond. She uttered a quick thanks before dashing back to her car, she was happy. It wasn't great news, but Timmy being discharged meant that it must not have been as bad she opted out of visiting him at his home, he would be fine. Vicki's conscience and her could rest easy now.

She made her way home and said goodbye to her sister and her parents after dinner. They pulled out of the driveway and left for the airport that would take them to the city the cruise was set to leave from. She had the house all to herself, now she just had to figure out what she was going to do for the summer. Since all the kids she babysat were out of town and she didn't really have friends, maybe she would pull out some money and go on a trip of her own. She would think on it more in the morning, for now she was pretty beat.

She woke up early the next morning, her phone was lit up. _Six in the morning?_ Someone must have had a lot of balls to bother her this early. She had a missed call from Timmy's parents, and a voice mail.

She rubbed her eyes, they were probably cancelling their trip, meaning they would be out and about doing errands which meant they were probably asking her to babysit him for the day. She stretched and accidentally knocked her hand against her headboard eliciting a curse from Vicki. She had forgotten about her hand, it was a little less swollen than the day before but it felt very stiff.

She got dressed and listened to her voice mail, "Hi Vicki, do you think you could watch Timmy today? We're going out to run some errands." Yep, Vicki had them pegged just right. She headed over to Timmy's house. There was no car in the driveway, his parents must have already left. Vicki used the spare key the Turner's had given her to get in. The house was quiet, meaning the twerp must still be asleep.

She walked over to the kitchen and rifled through the fridge. She wasn't that hungry but he probably was. She pulled out all she would need for a decent breakfast. She would do something nice for him, he was probably feeling pretty crappy this morning so he could use a good pick me up. What started off as a simple bacon and eggs turned into a full blown spread. She heard the creaking of footsteps on the floor above her and knew that the kid was awake.

Thus began her day with Timmy Turner.

* * *

Vicki touched her good hand against the hot stream of water, it was ready. Vicki sighed, this boy was making her soft and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He had such an effect on her and he had no idea. He still saw her as the crazy evil babysitter who could destroy him with little to no effort. It was better that way she guessed, she couldn't imagine what power he would hold over her if he knew that she had no real power over him. She shuddered at the thought.

Vicki undressed and let the hot water wash away her daily troubles. Afterwards, she found it surprisingly easy to fall asleep in a bed that wasn't hers. Carrying Timmy up the stairs had really taken the wind out of her; maybe she was getting out of shape?


	6. Penny For Your Thoughts

Penny for your thoughts

Vicki woke up and stretched; her hand was fine now. The swelling was gone, there was no pain, if you hadn't know she had hurt it two days ago you wouldn't have ever guessed. Timmy had been worrying over nothing. She tilted her head back and thought of yesterday. God, she never should have left him alone. He had already been abandoned by his parents and she had done the same, technically even worse since she didn't tell him she would be gone. Her things probably could have waited. She thought she was being smart by thinking ahead, but she only wound up causing a full meltdown. She could have at least woken him up to tell him she would be right back, but no, she had to be stupid and leave thinking it wouldn't take over an hour to pack. She could've left a note, but oh wouldn't that be a smack to his face? Of course it would. Hey this is what he's used to right? Crappy notes apologizing for leaving him, that would just dig into fresh wounds. She sighed and rubbed her temples; she would never forgive herself for that mistake. That look of terror on his face when she saw him will stick with her for awhile. He looked so desperate and he ran straight to her, and in a sad sort of way it made her feel special. She'd never been hugged by him. Though she wasn't happy with the circumstances that caused it, it felt good to be needed. She really shouldn't have carried him upstairs though, he wasn't a little kid anymore, but he was struggling and she couldn't watch him suffer. As she was about to get out of bed a voice filled the room.

_Pathetic._

Vicki paused, it was almost as if someone had spoken right next to her. She really had turned into a softy but she wasn't going crazy.

_Do you even hear yourself? The kid got a big bad boo-boo on his head and you turn into an overbearing mommy to keep him safe? You are absolutely pathetic. You get paid to make sure he doesn't make a mess of things while his parents are gone. Period. Why do you even care about him? He's fine, he'll live. Is it because he reminds you of yourself? You know what they say about corpses, right? How you should leave them dead and buried? You're going soft Vicki. When you go soft, you leave yourself open to get hurt, to get your heart crushed and broken. Don't be stupid about this girl. You put your guard down for a second and you will get beat down. You have a prime example of that right in front of you. I mean just look at him, he wears his heart on his sleeve and gets the shit kicked out of him on an almost hourly basis. Do you want that again? We're past that. We vowed never to go back to being a goddamn door mat who just takes it and takes it! Remember? Of course you don't because all that's on your mind now these days is Timmy this, and Timmy that!_

Vicki tried covering her ears to block out the horrible voice.

_ You gonna whip him up another breakfast like a good little housewife? Maybe fetch the morning paper while you're at it? Well don't let me stop you. He's got you whipped and he doesn't even know it. Things are going so smoothly for you right now. He still looks at you with fear in his eyes like at any moment you're going to switch back to being a complete bitch, a monster. There's no switch though, is there? You're always a monster, 24/7, 365 days a year. You're always watching everything from behind a mask. Unable to show people what lies beneath the surface. You know it just as well as I do that you're broken… You can pretend all you want. I know what you really are and you do too. You can try and deny it, but what's the point Vicki? You'd be lying to both of us, just like with your family, friends (if any at all), your clients, the other kids, and especially that buck toothed idiot. Especially to him, right to his stupid little face._

"Shut up." the words came out cracked and weak.

_Struck a nerve did we? We're just trying to get you to see what a deadly mistake you're making. You let Tootie inside and look what that got you. She thinks she knows everything but that's just another lie. With what she does know, she thinks it gives her some right to pick at you and pull back the mask. She believes she can get all up in your personal life. She even tries to take care of you, and she's the younger one at that. She really must see you as some pretty damaged goods if she has to keep an eye on you. You still regret that stupid talk you had with her. You were desperate and in your moment of weakness it slipped out. These things happen, I can understand that. But I expected you to snap out of it and realize how flawed your plan was and nip it in the bud. Alright, alright, you only regret it sometimes, but just think of all the times she set you off so easily. Is that really her fault or is it yours? …I think we both know the answer to that, eh Short Fuse? You're seven kinds of crazy, you know that right? The thoughts you've had, if I had any real power I would have shipped us off to the looney bin ages ago. But no, I'm merely a passenger stuck in the backseat. I'm just along for the ride to watch every stupid mistake you've made be repeated, add nauseam. I'm forced to watch you run us off of the road. You lie to everyone, EVERYONE! All the while you still have this stupid desire for someone to love you? You push everyone away and want someone to come to you? Where is the logic in that, really? We had a plan not too long ago, stockpile as much funds as possible by any means necessary, stepping on people's throats even to get it. Save and then leave Dimmsdale in the rearview mirror. What ever happened to that? Oh, I know the answer to that one too, you let him get under your skin._

"Stop. Please.." she was begging at this point, it was piercing her very soul, ripping out all her secrets across the floor.

_Cut him out like the parasite he is and get back on track! You get too cozy and this place will wind up as your grave. Or does life in the suburbs really not sound all that cliché to you? Maybe a little snot-nosed boy and a girl in a low income home with a white picket fence. Oh it sounds like such a dream, a horrible dream come true. Let's stay here and throw our life away. It's not like we were destined for greatness or anything...besides it's not like we can ever have a life like that. And yet you're actually still going through with it? You're still throwing it all away? For what?! some stupid kid?!_

"Shut up!" Vicki screamed as she bolted up in bed. Her hair matted to her face as she was covered in a cold sweat as she shook.

It had been a nightmare, just a horrible nightmare. What the hell had caused that? She looked over to the nightstand's clock; it was five in the morning. Vicki slumped back into her pillow. There was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep after that.

She motioned to rub her eyes but cringed when she felt a pain in her hand. It was still swollen and was now partially numb; definitely not a good sign. She sat up, her back was killing her. She must have been tossing and turning throughout the night, and now she had a crick in her back. Her body was sore even though she had taken a hot shower and slept in a good bed. Beside that though, she hadn't really been taking it easy the past two days. The downside to staying the night at the Turner home was that this room got very cold, hence why she would mostly just crash on the couch. She rubbed the small of her back and stretched, she really needed to tend to her hand.

Shuffling to the bathroom, she ran it under cool water and sighed as she was soothed of her pain. Her stomach growled ferociously and she realized she hadn't eaten much yesterday, what with everything going on. She walked downstairs past her suitcases and into the kitchen to find a very depressed Timmy sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of milk in front of him…

AN: Hi everyone, first of all I want to thank you for taking the time to read my story up until this point. I want to keep the flow of this story as smooth as possible. Oh! Also if you've got the time, maybe you would consider reading my FOP/Silent Hill story. Reviews are welcome. Have a good day!


	7. Turning The Tables

**Turning the Tables**

He glanced over at her for a moment before turning his attention back to his glass. Vicki hadn't been expecting to see Timmy up this early, so she was now very thankful that she had decided against walking down here in just her panties and tank top. She shifted awkwardly in the door frame of the kitchen. He glanced over in her direction.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked simply.

Vicki chuckled, "I could ask you the same thing, twerp... Are you alright?" The question came out sounding more forced than she had initially intended it to be. Timmy looked at her quizzically. She didn't want to come across as caring too much but instead wound up sounding like she was struggling to care.

"I guess I just couldn't sleep anymore. I've been asleep for the most part of two days. I figured I would get something to drink but the longer I've been awake, the more I think about… this." He gestured to himself and the room. Vicki had walked over to the fridge to grab a pear, not exactly a filling meal but a good snack for now.

She now sat across from him, "You mean being stuck here, with me. All while the rest of the town seems to be out on their own crazy adventures, not to mention that we're both hurting." She raised her bruised hand for emphasis. Vicki sighed and took a bite out of the pear, she'd been in a similar boat a long time ago.

"When you put it like that, you make it sound so romantic" he replied flatly.

Vicki shot him a smirk and batted her eyelashes at him, "Hey, I'm a great catch. So you should consider yourself lucky you're stuck with me for this romantic getaway." Vicki had said it with sarcasm, but it still managed to strike a nerve with the twerp.

Timmy blushed a deep crimson, "I-I I wasn't saying… I mean… That's not what I meant to say..." The kid was a stuttering mess. Vicki chuckled to herself, "Twerp, I was joking. Besides, you're like six years younger than me. I'm not even sure how that would work out." '

Timmy just stared at her with a bewildered look, a look that Vicki didn't appreciate. "What? Do I have something on my face?" she touched at her cheek to feel if she had gotten some of the pear on her cheek by some odd chance.

Timmy shook his head slowly. He wasn't sure how he was even going to get this message across. "You know, not that I'm complaining because I'm not, but you've been different."

Vicki tilted her head at him with a curious expression, "What are you getting at twerp?"

He would need to tread very carefully now; he nudged his near empty glass towards her direction, "Like right there, 'Twerp', you've called me twerp for years, but it doesn't carry the same weight it as it once did. Before I would feel hurt when you called me that, or be terrified, either way it wasn't good. Now instead of an insult it feels more like a nickname. You're nicer to me. Well, now you are. Up until a few days ago you were just less aggressive. You haven't threatened me in weeks, I wasn't sure at first if it was some elaborate plan to throw me off guard and then attack while I was weak, but so far nothing. At least not yet. You're not the same Vicki as when you started babysitting me. It's just different. You don't really force me to do chores, you don't yell at me, and we can even sit on the same couch together to watch tv. It's just a lot to take in sometimes."

Vicki felt very cornered now. It was like he had uncovered one of her worst secrets. She shifted in her seat; then glared at him, "I think you're looking too much into this."

Timmy looked at her with suspicion, his blue eyes boring into her, "Am I?"

_Was he? _Vicki already knew the answer to that question. She huffed, "Maybe I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. You ever think of that genius?"

Timmy looked unsure, "But why now?"

The longer this conversation dragged on the more Vicki wished she could run away from him so she wouldn't have to answer. Truth be told, she really didn't know why. She hadn't been able to figure out why she was changing like this. It terrified her; she found herself caring about things that hadn't bothered her all that long ago. Timmy waited patiently for her to answer. She hated that patient look. When had he gained control of this conversation? No matter, she was going to end it. A delicious idea entered her mind.

She perked up suddenly and spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone, one that she had never used before. "I guess I don't really know what the reason is. It's definitely not easy because I still do get upset. The thing that's different about it now is I just don't go to extreme lengths because of it. Though I don't always have control over my anger; sometimes it still gets out. Hmm, Timmy I'm going to give you some friendly advice, and you would be wise to take it m'kay?"

The hair on the back of Timmy's hair stood on end. She had called him Timmy recently, but this was different. That voice, when she said his name in that voice it made him truly afraid. Angry Vicki he had seen before but this was new. All he could do was nod.

Vicki smiled brightly at him and leaned over so that their faces were only an inch apart, her piercing pink eyes digging into his skull. She leaned closer to his ear, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." She pulled away and walked out of the kitchen. Timmy was left shaking in his seat.

He really wished he had just stayed up in bed this morning. Meanwhile, Vicki plopped down on the couch. _I can't believe that actually worked... _She was brought down back to Earth by the throbbing pain in her hand.

_Guess I don't really have a choice if it's getting this bad._ She climbed back upstairs with suitcases in tow and got changed. She popped into the kitchen where he was still glued to his seat, "Twerp! I'm going to the hospital. I'll be back in a few."

He didn't move, she shrugged and headed for the door. Halfway out the door, she was stopped when she felt something snake around her wrist. She yelped in surprise only to find Timmy grabbing her wrist.

Vicki had almost jumped out of her skin, "Jesus! You scared the crap out me. What is it?"

Timmy let go of her and sheepishly looked at his feet then looked up at her. "D-Do you want anyone to go with you?"

_Great, now he was back to being a stuttering shy kid_. Vicki sighed, she hated hospitals and she did want someone to go with her, usually that someone was Tootie. With her being gone, that only left Timmy. She definitely didn't want Timmy going because she didn't want him to see her like that. She had no choice though.

She knew she wouldn't be able to do this alone. "...Yeah, I guess. But you're going to have to get dressed." Vicki had tried to plat it off like she didn't care if he went or not but Timmy's face grew into a small smile before he raced upstairs.

_Maybe he just didn't want to be alone anymore? He's probably just tired of being cooped up in the house all day_. Either way, Vicki decided the kid needed a day out. He came walking down the stairs in his signature pink hat and t-shirt with blue jeans.

"Let's get this over with." She closed the door and locked it before they piled into her car and sped off towards downtown Dimmsdale.

* * *

AN: Sorry this turned up so late. I thought I would be home for the evening but those hopes were dashed. Just a quick update: I won't have time to update the two stories until about Monday. I'll be doing a lot more traveling than I would like but the upside is that I will be writing nonstop while I'm on the road. Have a good weekend, everyone!


	8. Breaking The Cycle

**Breaking the cycle**

Timmy was really glad to be out of the house; though he wasn't that excited it was with Vicki of all people. He cringed and regretted thinking of her that way. She wasn't all that bad; she was human just like him. The people he really wanted to spend this vacation time with were his parents. What would have happened to him if Vicki hadn't shown up to take care of him? _It could have been worse, I probably would have wound up at the Learnatorium for three months._

He looked over to Vicki as she drove them down the busy streets of Dimmsdale. Her hair was disheveled, but it still managed to look nice on her. Timmy would never admit it, but whenever she wasn't scowling he found her quite pretty. Pretty didn't make the person though, and what kind of person was Vicki really?

Timmy realized that he really didn't know anything about the red head, but she seemed to know everything about him. Granted she used that knowledge to his disadvantage, but she still knew it. She was very observant. When it came to threatening him… She had never followed through… That realization struck Timmy hard and he forced himself to not look at the girl, but out the window and sighed against the cool breeze of air blowing in. All the threats about beatings, were beatings that never came.

Cars whizzed by them as they made their way towards downtown Dimmsdale. He glanced over to her once more. No, she had never laid her hands on him. Her attacks were psychological; she threatened him with physical harm. Then if he disobeyed or didn't meet the level of quality she demanded, she would go to his parents instead and twist them against him, leaving him with a never ending cycle of misery even if she wasn't there. She put up this act with his parents, this innocent little girl act; she was devious and cunning. _A tactician._

Vicki was focused on the road so she hadn't noticed him staring at her. She looked nervous. But why? What did Vicki have to be nervous about? For that matter, what was Vicki afraid of, and what made her feel fear? He hadn't ever seen Vicki afraid, truly afraid. Timmy had known this girl for over eight years and yet he knew nothing about her. For the life of him, Timmy couldn't figure out why this bothered him.

A thought then hit him. What if Vicki wasn't turning over a new leaf? What if she was just showing how she really was? What if she was finally coming out of her shell? What could have happened to her to put her in that state of mind of constant aggression? Timmy tore his eyes off her to look out the window once again; there was no more breeze.

They were in a parking lot, parked. Timmy looked over to Vicki. She had been nervously staring up at the hospital. How long had they been here? He was beginning to sweat in this heat. Did he really not notice they were just sitting here?

"Vicki?" She continued to stare up at the building.

He called her again, a little more loudly now, "Vicki? Hey, are you okay?"Timmy leaned over and tapped her shoulder.

Vicki suddenly screamed out in terror which made Timmy do the same. This went on for a few seconds before Vicki stopped and thudded her head against the steering wheel, "Don't do that."

Vicki turned to glare at him but stopped when she saw him holding his hands over his mouth. He was trying desperately not to burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" she growled.

He laughed, not just a little outburst but a full blown laugh. Vicki had heard this laugh before but never around her. It was always while he was with his friends. "You scared me so bad…" he choked out between giggles.

A smile crept across Vicki's face, "Well you poked me out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting it. What did YOU expect to happen?"

Timmy wiped away a tear from his eyes, "I was trying to get your attention for a while there. You looked nervous, but I didn't expect you to freak out that bad." The smile suddenly dropped from his face, "You don't like hospitals do you?" his voice went from being a care free kid to concerned.

Vicki's smiled faded. _That's an understatement._ "Not so much the hospital, but what it represents… I guess.." She glanced at her watch, "Crap, we're gonna be late."

She motioned for him to hurry up as they clambered out of her car and into the lobby and then the elevator. The climb up to the fifth floor seemed to be taking forever. Vicki wished that they had taken the stairs instead, but at the same time the less effort Timmy had to put into anything was the better. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, but as they made their way to the front desk for the doctor's office, she knew that wasn't going to be the case.

The room was crowded with people either coughing or sneezing and spreading their disgusting germs and diseases everywhere. She cursed under her breath, "Just what I need right now."

Timmy noted her discomfort with the situation, he glanced across the room. "I'll see if I can find us a seat." He then disappeared into the crowd of people.

Vicki groaned, "This sucks." She finally reached the nurse at the front of the line, "Hi, my name is Vicki. I have an appointment with Doctor Needlemeyer.

The nurse looked at the schedule times, "Hmm, seems you're a little late. It shouldn't take too long for them to get you in."

Vicki sighed with relief, "So how long do you think, exactly?"

The nurse shrugged, "Maybe 15-20 minutes."

Vicki finished up with the nurse, about 20 minutes wouldn't be too bad; she expected to be here for a few hours. She sifted through the crowd of people. Timmy hadn't come back so that probably meant he had found a seat for them. She saw him waving her down. She then sat next to him in a really uncomfortable chair. These chairs weren't meant for comfort, just a place to sit while you wait to get prodded.

They sat in silence. Timmy didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. She was really sweaty even though they had been sitting in the air conditioned waiting room for the past ten minutes. _Vicki must be really nervous. _"Are you okay?" he prodded.

She waved her hand off, "It's nothing, twerp. I'm just not doing so well."

Timmy decided to drop it, she admitted to not feeling well, that was already a miracle in itself. Soon after a woman with a clipboard walks out from a closed door, "Vicki?"

Vicki froze, clearly panicked that now she was being called in. She turns to Timmy abruptly, "Twer-.. Timmy, will you come with me?" she pleaded with fear in her eyes.

He had never seen her like this; how could he say no? However, he did remember the last time he had gone to the doctors they had asked him to lift his shirt as the doctor checked his breathing. A blush spread across his cheeks as the thought of Vicki having to lift her shirt startled him. All he could do was nod as Vicki grabbed his hand and walked with him and the nurse towards the room at the end of the hall.

A simple room greeted them, but to Vicki it might as well have been a torture chamber. She sits on the examination table while Timmy takes a seat over near the counter. Vicki was visibly shaking. It was unnerving to see such a strong confident person be reduced to a shambling mess of frayed nerves.

The nurse smiled and said that the doctor would be in shortly. No sooner had she left that a knock came at the door. A tall man with foggy white glasses appeared in the doorway. He was unnaturally thin. His skin was stretched thin across his boney limbs.

He smiled before speaking in a calm monotonous tone, "Ah, Miss Valentine, so good to see you again. It's been too long, but maybe that's a good thing considering my profession."

Vicki didn't even chuckle, she was staring down at the floor and occasionally taking small glances at him. "H-h-hello Do.. Doctor Needlemeyer."

He glanced over his clipboard, "I see we still have that stutter. Some things never change, do they? No matter. That isn't why you're here today, something about an injured wrist."

His eyes passed over Timmy then back to Vicki. "Who is this young man?"

Timmy was so confused and lost in his thoughts that he was at a loss for words. Vicki's head drooped even lower and as she turned away from Timmy so he wouldn't be able to see her face, "Th-This is T…T-Ti..Timmy. I'm taking c-care of him wh-while h-his family is a…a-away."

He smiled at Timmy and pulled out a lollipop from his coat pocket, "Fair enough. Here you go, Timmy. Something to snack on while I help Vicki." Timmy took it in hand, as he turned back to Vicki. "Well, let's take a look at that wrist, shall we?"

After a few simple tests, he chuckles to himself, "It's a hairline fracture, nothing major or life threatening. Just ice it every few hours and try not to lift anything that would cause strenuous tension. I'll prescribe you some mild anti-inflammatory medication, those should lower the swelling considerably. I'll give you a recommendation list of wrist braces; those will keep you from injuring yourself further." He paused, possibly thinking about some other thing to add to the list.

"Well this is certainly much easier to fix than what we had to deal with all those years ago… Hmm, I really haven't seen you since you were a little girl. My, has it really been that long? I feel so old now." He laughs to himself while Vicki only nods.

Timmy is in awe of this shy and timid Vicki. This wasn't right. She's a completely different person here. It was downright disturbing. "Now Vicki, I have to ask you, are you feeling any pain along your spine? And your lungs, are you having any difficulty breathing lately? You put us all through quite a scare back then so it's best to stay on top of things like this."

The redhead tenses as the memories flood back, "N-No."

He nods, "Good, good. Can I ask you how you came to be injured?"

She froze, her body as still as a statue. She took a deep breath, "I-I was coo-cooking breakfast and a pan f-fe-fell from the hanger and as I was m-moving o-out of the way it hit my wr-wrist."

The doctor frowned, "How unfortunate. Be sure to take it easy." He continued to droll on and on for a few more minutes before finally setting Vicki and Timmy on their way. Vicki was still clearly shaken by the ordeal, but Timmy didn't know what he could say to help her.

Vicki shuddered as they got into the car and buckled up. She tilted her head from side to side thinking about whether she should say something or not. She nods head before turned the key over, having decided. The car roars to life, "D-do you want to g-go to Blockbuster?" Her face turned into a deep frown as she probably mentally kicked herself for not being able to stop stuttering.

Timmy ignored the stuttering; pointing it out wouldn't bring anything good. "Yeah, that'd be great Vicki. It'll give us a good way to kill time while we're stuck at home." She smiled at him, which was still odd but definitely a good change of pace.

They were silent up until they made their way through the front doors of the movie rental place. By then Vicki had collected herself enough to be able to speak in coherent and unbroken sentences. Before splitting up to find something they would like to get for themselves, they agreed to meet up at the horror movies. Vicki was like a kid in a candy shop, Documentaries and Romance were in the same aisle. She wasn't sure at first if she should let Timmy catch her with some crummy comedy romances, but figuring he'd already seen her at her worst back at the hospital, she just didn't care at this point. Meanwhile as she was getting a small stack of movies, Timmy already managed to have a basket full of movies: action, comedy, mystery, adventure. Pretty typical for a boy his age, unnecessary cursing and explosions abound.

They met up in the Horror section and soon had a separate basket for just horror movies. They found they had even ground on horror flicks. Gushing over the special featurette on making the monster in "Good Doggie", which from the cover looked like a simple kids movie but in reality was the tale of how a mother left her child home alone with their dog while unbeknownst to them a serial killer was on the loose. It was critically acclaimed as being unnecessarily brutal and terrifying. They checked out and made their way back to the Turner residence where Timmy plopped down on the couch as Vicki set up the movie. They chat throughout the movie and blurt out their favorite lines.

Near the end of the movie, Timmy lulls his head to the side towards Vicki, "Are you okay?" He kept his eyes on the screen.

Vicki knew he was asking about how she had acted at the hospital. She had been thankful that he hadn't brought it up until now. She knew that he noticed, hell, anyone that wasn't blind would have noticed how much of a wreck she was. She sighed, "Listen, I didn't have the greatest childhood growing up, I had to spend a lot of my young life in the hospital. So I didn't have all the fun in the world."

Timmy saw how on edge the topic had made her and he figured it was best not to push her too hard on this. She was slowly telling him more and more, he just had to be patient and understanding.

She got up to prep a quick dinner while Timmy sorted out the movies they had gotten into three stacks. One for Vicki's choices, one for his own, and one for the one's that they had picked together. He never would have pegged her for a romantic person. _She isn't turning over a new leaf! She's bringing down her walls._ Timmy yawned while Vicki called from the kitchen saying that dinner was ready. He shuffled to the kitchen table where a bowl of mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and grilled chicken awaited their imminent demise.

No sooner had Timmy finished dinner that he suddenly felt so tired. Vicki handed him his medicine and he took it with some water. Next thing he knows, he's being tucked into bed. "You know, you're a bit heavier than yesterday, I think you're putting on some serious weight, Twerp."

Timmy smiled, "I'm not fat."

Vicki laughs, "I never said you were fat, just saying that you've put on some weight. Goodnight, Twerp."

Vicki is moving away when Timmy tells her that she never really answered his question. Vicki took a moment to think. "I suppose so, it's just something I can't seem to shake, no matter how hard I try. I've got so many terrible memories from days spent at the hospital that still haunt me to this day. I felt so alone back then, between being stuck in a hospital bed and then whenever I was home I…" She trailed off, she was struggling not to cry.

Timmy sat up, still fairly hazy now that his medicine was kicking in, he could tell that this was serious. "Timmy, I don't mean to reopen some wounds, but how do YOU put with it? With your parents, me, and all the other stuff that probably hurts you in one way or another on a daily basis."

Timmy rubbed his hands together as he sighed, "I guess, I just let my imagination take me away when the problems get bad enough. I sort of developed imaginary friends to go on adventures with whenever things got bad enough." Timmy didn't dare risk telling Vicki that he had fairy god parents. Timmy looked up at her to find that she was staring off into the distance. "Vicki! I'm answering your question and you aren't even listening?!"

She snapped out of it, startled, as if she had been brought back into reality a little too quickly. "Sorry, no, I heard you. You just reminded me of something I haven't thought about in a very long time."

Before Timmy could ask what it was that she remembered, she continued, "We're a lot alike, you know? A lot more than I'm comfortable with. I used to be like you once. My life sucked…" She sighed, seeming to mull over whether she should keep talking about this, "but Timmy, trust me, I had it worse. Of the two of us, I'm glad it was me instead of you. I think you should appreciate what you have. In the entire time you've been under my care, I've never harmed you physically. Growing up, you got to run around outside in the sun and just be a regular kid with real friends. I didn't get that luxury. As a kid, I was in either in a hospital bed or stuck locked away in my room. You never had health problems growing up, so I don't expect you to fully understand... Almost every second being alive hurt. There were days… days when I just wanted to give up, to throw it all away because I just couldn't take the pain. My parents weren't ready to have me. They were a young couple, they didn't plan on me coming into existence and they had no idea I would have serious medical problems. Me just being alive put a strain on their marriage."

Tears were flowing steadily down her cheeks, "Sure your parents don't pay much attention to you, but at least they didn't try to get rid of you. I wish I had been that lucky. Your parents may not be great ones, but they could be a lot worse. I was just a burden to mine. The medical bills kept piling higher and higher and I was told on a regular basis that I was a mistake… that everything would be so much better if I had never been born. My own mother talked about me like I wasn't there. I was so unhappy that one day I made up an imaginary friend."

The memory was foggy as she struggled to remember how she had pictured him or how they had even met, she continued her story, "I don't even remember how I did it; he was just there one day. He was a goofball and he always knew how to make me laugh even when I was sure that I never would smile again let alone laugh. We had all these crazy adventures. It was like magic."

Timmy had sat up at the word 'magic' while Vicki continued, "But looking back, I can see that I just developed an overactive imagination as a defense mechanism for all the pain I was suffering form. I don't know how but I guess a miracle must have happened, because suddenly my lungs started working right. I was a medical marvel, I went from knocking on death's door to being a lanky little girl who couldn't stop smiling. The medical problems may have been over but the financial and psychological ones had only just begun-"

"Vicki, did your imaginary friend have a name?" Timmy suddenly asked her.

Vicki thought for a moment. "It was…" before she could say more, she puts a palm up to her temple as she was wracked by a sudden wave of dizziness; almost immediately she was hit by the worst migraine she had ever had. "Ugh, I can't remember. But I don't see why after everything I've told you, you choose to ask if my imaginary friend had a name…I had almost had it too. I can't remember now." She rubs her temple as she stands in the doorway in a fair bit of pain, Timmy felt bad for bringing this up and then sidetracking her story. Why did trying to remember his name make her head hurt?

"I'm sorry Vicki. That must have been really hard growing up like that."

She shrugs it off, "It made me into who I am today. Sure I don't like myself all that much, but I learned to be tough. I learned that relying on myself left only me to blame, I never had to worry about other people letting me down. My parents had failed me for most of my life so I vowed to never give them the chance to do it again. Not that they've tried anyway, when Tootie was born, I was practically forgotten."

She could see that Timmy was looking really depressed. "Listen, Timmy, I'm glad things worked out this way, I mean, I wouldn't be here if things had gone differently. So chin up, it gets better. Anyway, you need to get some sleep. Goodnight, twerp."

As Vicki shut the door, Timmy now had more questions than he had had at the start of the day. As she leaned on the door outside Timmy's room, she struggled to remember. It started with a "C" she knew that much, or maybe it was "B" but now her head hurt too much to keep trying. Why did her head hurt so much when she tried to remember his name? She shrugged it off in frustration and went to her room. It was just a coincidence and nothing more. She cleared her throat as she coughed, she must have swallowed wrong.

* * *

AN: I do not own Fairly Odd Parents. Sorry I've been gone so long, I made a longer chapter to make up for it. Let me know what you all think by leaving a comment, it'll be greatly appreciated.


	9. But The Cracks Will Show

**But the cracks will show**

Dull gray walls and scuffed linoleum floors coupled with the gentle humming of fluorescent lights hanging overhead. They were the only things he could make note of as he stared hopelessly out of his cell. He paced back and forth. This was bad. How had it come to this? He had done nothing wrong. It was just a simple little thing, no one should have noticed. Yet here he was, now waiting out his trial in a cell. Based off looking at his surroundings, you never would have guessed you were in a world filled with magic.

He was torn from his wife the moment they arrived. She had no idea of what he had done. It all happened so swiftly. She screamed for them to stop as they roughly restrained him and threw him into this dull cell of captivity. He rested his head against the cold iron. The look of fear on her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks were branded into his mind. He hoped that she was alright. This couldn't have been easy on her; she'd always been a worry wart, but now she must really have been a mess. He had taken that job as an individual, rather than work as a team with his wife. That was all new ground for them, being apart. As his wife took the cycle off, he plunged back into work. To him it wasn't work because it gave him purpose. Never the less he stood by his decision for his 'crime.' What was he supposed to do, just let her slowly fade away into Death's icy grasp?

He knew what her case had entailed when he was assigned to her, but he just couldn't do it. He couldn't just stand by and do nothing. She had suffered so much. She didn't deserve the hand she had been dealt. He made sure that when he was there that she never had a reason to frown or cry. His presence was supposed to be a gift, a gift for a dying little girl. She never once asked for him to make her better; she asked for simple things: more paper for her drawings, parting the clouds so the flowers could get some sunshine. Simple, simple he could do.

She didn't want material things because the thing she really wanted was a friend. He would be her friend in her final days. Such a fragile little thing she was, with beautiful big eyes. He cringed whenever she would cry out in pain. When she did cry he would cry with her, consoling her to the best of his ability. He wasn't supposed to interfere, just make her smile a few more times before her end. In their short time together he got attached. There was something special about her that he couldn't quite figure out. Her ending had already been written, but... he did the unthinkable.

He rewrote her a new one, a blank one. Even though she hadn't asked him to, he had given her a fresh start, a chance to write her own ending. One where she could at least have a chance to be happy. He chuckled; the universe sure had a funny sense of humor. He never figured he would see her again, but low and behold he found his new charge was suffering by her very hand. He knew she couldn't have been evil, not truly. Without him there to protect her she fell back and learned to only rely on herself. Her independence resulted in an icy shell meant to keep out those that would harm her, but now also doubled as her prison.

As she suffered along with his charge he too would now suffer for his insubordination. But all in all he would gladly do it again in a heartbeat. Bring on whatever punishment they could think of. He would take it with a smile on his face. They could never change his mind. He wasn't wrong for his decision, they were. He would make them see.

He stopped his pacing when he heard the sound of boot heels clicking against the cold floor. Two of them in suits, they materialized like spirits in front of his cell. They ordered him to stick his arms through the hole between his bars. He complied. His jaw was still a little stiff since his first resistance had only resulted in a swift blow to his face. He needed to keep his cool; he wasn't a fighter. Fighter or not, this situation had set his blood to boil. They shackled his wrists in heavy restraints and ordered him to stand back. He did as he was told. They opened the cell doors for him to be escorted to a room at the end of the hall. The two guards took up positions on each side of the door.

As he entered, his eyes locked with hers. Fear and regret washed over him as he almost sprinted to the seat in front him. The room was separated into two halves by thick plex-i-glass. His wife sat on the other side across from him. Her hair was disheveled and it looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy; she had been crying. He hated to see her like this. He realized he wasn't the only one suffering for his 'misdeeds'.

She put up a shaky palm to the glass as she sniffled, "T-tell me you didn't do it. Please, tell me you didn't do it, Sweetie. There's some crazy talk that you rewrote someone's fate, but that's just crazy. You would never do something so reckless." She smiled at him. Her partner had always been kind and caring, perhaps too much, but he understood his job and the limitations of their power.

He sighed and watched her hopeful smile fade. He couldn't lie to her and he had no intention of doing so. "I did."

The care-free smile and upbeat tone she had grown to love had been replaced by a face of steely determination and a voice devoid of any happiness. She had never seen him like this. She had never considered he would actually do something so dangerous. "You broke one of our most important rules! How could you? Everything we've worked for, you've thrown it all away!" she was screaming at him. No one had ever dared break this rule in the entire time their organization had been in order, yet he had. There were whispers of it and hushed talks as she walked through the streets of their floating metropolis. She never suspected they were true. Now she felt as if her world was collapsing in on itself. She had no idea what sort of punishment would be cast down upon him.

He didn't flinch at her outburst. He knew she wasn't really upset at him; she was just afraid. He had seen true wrath and malice before, but his wife was never one to be under their control. She cried hard as her shoulders shook. He placed his palms against hers, the only things separating their touch being three inches of glass. He wanted to console her. Just to hold her in his arms, but he couldn't.

She spoke in between sobs, "You idiot, how could you do this?"

Cosmo smiled, a soft and tired one. "I had to. I just couldn't watch her suffer. When I looked into those pink eyes, she just reminded me so much of you."

Wanda looked up at him through tear filled eyes, "But you might have destroyed everything we've ever worked for. What if we lose Timmy?"

He sighed, "I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does I still won't change my mind about what I've done. He'll live, yes, but she'll have never gotten to see life past her seventh birthday. You can't weigh them side by side like that."

She rested her head against the glass. He was right. "I know. I'll support you… no matter what happens... I love you."

A tear started to well up in his eye and he wiped it away. She was one of his weaknesses but he needed to stay strong for what was coming next. "I love you too."

A buzzer sounded. Their time was apparently up as the two guards came abruptly into the room and pulled Cosmo roughly to his feet. Wanda begged for more time as they started hauling him out of the room and he struggled against their grasp. He was almost out the door when he was able to get one last look at his worried wife and shout out to her, "Everything is going to be okay!" The door shut behind him and Wanda was left sitting alone in the room, her heart feeling as if it had been torn from her chest. Everything was going to change.


End file.
